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The Time of Eve

What it’s about: Asimov-style “Three Laws” androids have become ubiquitous in near-future Japan, and society is still struggling to come to terms with them. One day, a schoolboy named Rikuo follows the tracking logs of his family’s female android to see where she’s been going while he’s at school. What he discovers is a hidden sanctuary, a bar where androids and humans intermingle and are treated equally: The Time of Eve.

Why you should watch it: Time of Eve is a series of vignettes with a loose overarching story, showing the protagonist coming to terms with his feelings for androids in general and his budding romantic feelings for his android in particular. The animation for the show is utterly gorgeous, and the stories and characters are interesting enough to keep you involved. It’s a nice, gentle story with a heartwarming conclusion.

Caveats: I’d say watch the movie rather than the OVAs, as it’s essentially all of them compiled into one with a few added scenes. This is not a show where a lot happens – just sit back and relax.

Themes: Discrimination, Community.

Similar works:Bartender. Aquatic Language is something of a “trial run” for Time of Eve, and you can see a lot of the same ideas in rough form. Hal is a similar sci-fi/romance revolving around a human-android relationship. Outside of anime, the closest parallel would be Asimov’s anthology I, Robot (not the movie).